Why Try To Get Out Of Your Box, When You Can Use What's In It?
I’m dipping in advertising here, which I rarely do, but it’s worth telling. Here are the three themes of an effective advertisement.
1. Repeat
2. Emotion
3. Simple message
Notice how it is this collection of methods that are also effective in PR, journalism, marketing, and persuading.
It’s very effective. At least, it was for Hitler who focused on these three principles.
Maybe it’s time to reconsider how we use advertising isn’t it? Better late than never.
Writer, novelist, journalist, whatever your title, the question always comes up, what should I write on?
For many, we have plenty of ideas to keep us occupied. However, that doesn’t always mean that our readers want the same things that we want to write about.
There is a simple solution.
I’ve recently interviewed Doug Moe, long time columnist for the Wis. State Journal. When asked about how he decides what to write on, he mentioned that he gets a lot of his ideas from his own history. Things happen to connect for him. On the other hand, he also gets a lot of suggestions from readers, friends, and people looking to be profiled.
Doug elegantly entwines what he wants to write about and what other people want him to write about, all the while making it so that each piece is loved and felt by the people of Madison.
When you can’t come up with ideas for what to write on, or your ideas aren’t appealing to your audience, don’t quit, don’t give up, don’t put down the pen. Get people to suggest stories for you and run with them like you’ve been handed a batton in the Olympics.
Every idea for your audience is a treasure, or at least it will be viewed as one when you’re done writing about it.
Straight forward, her biggest suggestion was to get internships.
If this is the first post you’ve read of mine, you’ll quickly notice how often I remind everyone that nothing compares with first-hand experience when it comes to PR and journalism.
During those internships, don’t go in a suit, unless it’s armour because Kim mentioned multiple times that “You have to have tough skin.”
If you want to keep that internship, you better learn that Fact Checking isn’t just in the political realm.
To help understand b2b and consumer business: b2b you are connected all the time, it’s focused, one-on-one. Consumer to consumer has much more variety.
In your writing, it’s okay to repeat topics. There will always be new people coming in to read it for the first time and any veterans could likely use the reminder.
My personal favorite of the night: If you don’t give feedback, you wont be viewed as talented. Who ever criticizes your work, criticize their work as well.
Kim Kaiser is a business-to-business editor based in Milwaukee, Wis., She is the managing editor of Farm Equipment magazine and associate editor of Rural Lifestyle Dealer magazine, both published by Lessiter Publications. She has been working in business-to-business publishing for seven years. Prior to joining Lessiter Publications, Kim worked as a freelance writer and editor for various publications and digital properties.
If you’re going into PR, you better already know that it’s nearly all about connections. Knowing people who know people. That’s how you will land your first job, your second, and third. That’s how you will learn about your clients, your employer, your co-workers, your friends, and your enemies.
If you really want to move up the ladder, it’s done by getting a lift from the helping hand of others. Those who think people have an unfair advantage by knowing people would call this way of helping those whom you know, climbing people. They are ashamed that anyone would do such a thing. To them, though you may be up, they look down upon you. They see it as the only way you can go up in the corporate world is to get on the shoulders of a person taller than you. It’s unfair to them that they work hard while you keep climbing people because you know more of them.
I’ve heard people complain that the only reason a person got a job is because they knew someone, the only reason they got accepted was because they were friends with an insider, the only reason they landed the contract was because a family member is the head of the contracting department; the list is endless.
Do these people have an unfair advantage though?
Not at all.
It’s fair, because they (or you) could have connected with the same people. They (and you) could also have connected with different people and have gotten even higher.
The only matter of fairness is that it’s unfair people aren’t trained in this at an early stage. Everyone can connect with someone if they really want to, it’s what defines us as humans. Let’s quit saying how unfair it is that someone one-ups you because they know someone who knows someone.
Knowing people is life. Get one.
First thought of Abercrombie: Gag.
Certainly not because the models fail to be divinely sexy. They are. It’s the overpowering aroma, the WWII hazard gas that is ventilated to flow through the entire store and out to those just walking past it.
For a PR stunt, why not simultaneously offer free gas masks to buyers on the same day you hold a huge blow out sale.
The metaphorical, literal, and imaginative genius to this idea would be a PR stunt worth writing about.
Just a suggestion of mine. I’d be happy to write about it if it were to happen. (thegarthbox@gmail.com)
I am extremely grateful for the connections I’ve made. They got me to have a great phone conversation with long time political reporter for Madison’s Capitol Times, David Callender.
While I was interviewing him about someone else who I’m writing a profile article on (will present it soon), I happened to get a couple of tips on journalism from him. In fact, he said these were the two most important lessons to know, understand, and carry out in our journalistic lifestyles.
1. There are no dumb questions.
2. Double check your stuff.
They sort of go together. Basically he is asserting that you ask any question, as many times, and in as many ways as possible to make sure you have all the facts.
You don’t have to take my word for it. He’s the one that has 30+ years in journalism.
A lot of journalists will say that nothing feels better than getting the quote you need within the first few sentences of talking to someone.
You can tell if they are a professional journalist if they continue to say that despite having a quote within the first two minutes, that they continued to talk with their interviewee.
I say that nothing feels better than getting seven exemplary quotes you don’t know what to do with and a handful of tips on life than stopping when you get your quote.
Journalism isn’t only about words on paper, it’s about the connections and relationships you have to people. It’s about growing as a person and making your career and life a learning experience.
